My Travels: March 2013

Overview:

Sudan, once the largest and one of the most geographically diverse states in Africa, split into two countries in July 2011 after the people of the south voted for independence. The government of Sudan gave its blessing to an independent South Sudan, where the mainly Christian and Animist people had for decades been struggling against rule by the Arab Muslim north. However, various outstanding issues - especially the question of shared oil revenues and border demarcation - have continued to create tensions between the two successor states. Sudan has long been beset by conflict. Two rounds of north-south civil war cost the lives of 1.5 million people, and a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur has driven two million people from their homes and killed more than 200,000. Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was sworn in as chairman of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council on 12 April 2019, a day after the army overthrew veteran President Omar al-Bashir.

Source: BBC Country Profile

American Embassy Khartoum:

An assault on the U.S. embassy on September 14, 2012 caused more than $2 million in damages and led to an ordered departure of many embassy personnel and all eligible family members (EFM), leaving the embassy with about half of its normal staffing of U.S. direct-hire personnel. The attack was caused by an online video allegedly offensive to Muslims which caused Sudanese demonstrators to attack the German, British, embassies as well. Embassy defenders successfully prevented demonstrators from entering the compound secured the chancery and exterior. Following the attack, Chris Rowan, the Deputy Chief of Mission, took immediate steps to evacuate embassy employees and family members. Many of the evacuees were sent to Athens and remained there for a month before being sent to the United States or alternate safe havens. The ordered departure finally ended March 13, 2013. For more than 5 months, there was no U.S. direct-hire employee to provide oversight of $300 million in humanitarian relief funds for internally displaced populations of Sudan. There was limited oversight for development programs of $23 million. Embassy political and economic officers, drawn down to less than a third of their previous numbers, were unable to provide needed levels of advocacy of U.S. views on the late September 2012 series of implementing agreements to the Comprehensive Peace Accord between Sudan and South Sudan. In the absence of a full-time consular officer, the embassy scaled back consular services sharply, most notably American citizens services. A second consequence was increased uncertainty among embassy employees about their future. The Department’s decision to use Athens as a shelter in place increased the perception that there could be an early end to ordered departure. However, the Department extended the ordered departure on a monthly basis. Had the Department told evacuees to plan for an ordered departure of 180 days, morale would have been better, there would have been fewer problems with overpayment of allowances and Washington agencies could have exercised better oversight of their programs.

Another example of running into the same people you inspected, the DCM Chris Rowan ended up as a Retired Annuitant with OIG and participates in many OIG inspections as a Consular inspector.

The Management Officer was William Steuer. The new American FMO, Satish Nair, had not yet arrived at post so I interviewed the senior FSN Financial Specialist Raafat Moharib for the review of financial management operations. The HRO was Steven Bopp.

Findings:

We had a total of 35 formal and 23 informal recommendations in the OIG report. A plan needed to be developed to define which embassies, between Khartoum and Nairobi would be providing management support to embassy Juba.

There were issues with overpayments of allowances made to eligible family member employees who were incorrectly maintained on the payroll following ordered departure. The embassy lacked written procedures to terminate post differential and danger pay when American personnel depart post on official and personal travel and to restart allowances upon return to post. A recommendation was made to collect the overpayments and to establish procedures and issue an administrative instruction and underscoring each employee’s responsibility to adhere to them.

In the area of facilities and general services management needed to implement a plan to remediate the apparent settling or structural problem related to the Khartoum chancery building. Implement a plan to comply with Department of State guidance on completion of initial and refresher training for locally employed staff who regularly operate armored vehicles. Implement a plan for motor vehicle operator maintenance and use responsibilities by all employees who drive government-owned vehicles. Implement a property disposal procedure and restore U.S. Government ownership and registration to the two trucks and three three-wheeled surveillance detection vehicles that are now registered to a locally employed staff member.

Findings in Human Resources included the need to request assistance from the School of Language Studies’ Arabic division to help revamp the post language program and implement a training plan for staff. HR also needed to ensure the timely submission of employee performance reports by supervisors. A policy on use of overtime and an administrative instruction needed to be issued requiring supervisors to approve all overtime in advance. An updated hotel and restaurant report should be submitted the Bureau of Administration Office of Allowances. Up-to-date information on the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program rules and regulations needed to be published and an EEO locally employed staff liaison needed to be appointed and trained.

In Financial Management we recommended that the embassy implement procedures to review funds balances in the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services allotment at least quarterly and make adjustments as necessary. Implement a policy requiring that U.S. dollar payments for reimbursement of representation expenses, travel claims, and travel advances for American officers be made by electronic fund transfers to employee bank accounts. Require the financial management office to assume responsibilities as the designated billing office.

Highlights:

As shown below we did do more sightseeing in Khartoum as shown below visiting the National Museum and Khalifa's House as well as shopping at the Souk Omdurman. Tim and I also played tennis at a local club.